American Young and Old Loneliness and Suicide Rates

[lennypartiv]

People need purpose, G-d and love. In Canada they took two of three from me and their efrorts are designed to take all three due to despair. May the cowards who do this to others face judgement.

No hockey on your list? I'm going to petition the government to have your Canadian citizenship removed.

 

[whoisit]

Enlightening!
America's young people have nothing to strive for that offers a better life than drugs, video games, and allcohol.

It used to be that they could look forward to the day they entered the military and found something worthwhile in life by turning to military solutions.

I guess the military is one way but there are others too, although I have to admit they are not what they used to be either,
I hope most don't give up and realize this is not just a bad moment, but forever type of thing and it hurt's those who do care.

People are too absorbed with their smart phones to have meaningful conversations.

True and I wish there was a club for the lonely, where people could meet just to be with others.
Not to speak of our youth don't have roller rinks, theaters, safe parks or downtowns like they used to have when I was young.
I see them standing next to each other texting to each other.

 

[Foxfyre]

The AI and Tech world is just another symptom of how much our society New Age culture has failed us.

This song really hits home with my family, don't forget the ones who play online games or social media too much.
My best friend's 48 yr old son killed himself with a gun a couple years ago, then March of this year our 26 YO grandson killed himself with a gun also.
I'm not looking for pity, just hoping this doesn't happen to anyone else, and no one else has to go thru this tragic pain.
I hope this changed me for the better as to where I judge less and more understanding of all people.
We think we witnessed a small miracle at his service. A wild white dove just flew up and landed on his brothers hand outside funeral home.

There are always exceptions of course and probably all of us know of one or two. But people of strong faith rarely ever intentionally physically harm themselves or others.

I am not speaking of those who are obedient to the rules and regulations of any particular religion or just do church/synagogue/mosque, but those who have a connection with, a sense of relationship with, a higher power.

Children allowed to pray when something is tragic, sad, scary, disturbing--those to whom prayer is natural and comforting--will use a generic moment of silence for that. Not always but generally such children get through the uglies of youth with less trauma and are better able to deal with the really bad things in life as adults.

Children whose God is unwelcome in school or elsewhere in the public sphere, who are taught that being 'religious' is uncool and unsophisticated or unscientific, who do not have a supportive and affirming faith community, very often will not cope as well as children or as adults. And on average are far more likely to be destructive to themselves and/or others.

Would that have made a difference for your friend's son or your grandson? No way to know. Both may have been outliers and we cannot know what 'demons' drove them. I understand and appreciate what a tragedy such loss is for you and all others who have to endure that.

But I do believe allowing the genuine faith part of people's lives to be lived as openly and freely and visibly as they are allowed to live other factors of their lives would make a huge positive difference in the dysfunctional society we now all too often have.

 

[jotathought]

High divorce rates, lack of nuclear family, lack of morals, etc .. all lead to lonely lives.

Look around while you're eating out to see how many families are more focused on their phones and not conversing with each other. How many single adults care more about their pets than they do children? How many divorces? single mothers? lack of discipline? Immorality (e.g. OnlyFans, pornography)

 

[struth]

Forget about the magic silly white dove stuff. You're introducing a topic that is long overdue on this board.

Do you want to discuss the reasons why Americans are killing themselves in ever increasing numbers.

Let's begin by understanding that religions and their superstitious beliefs have nothing to do with it.

Agreed…religious beliefs and superstitions have been around, for centuries

It’s the xidenconomy…people have no hope

 

[Blaster]

High divorce rates, lack of nuclear family, lack of morals, etc .. all lead to lonely lives.

Look around while you're eating out to see how many families are more focused on their phones and not conversing with each other. How many single adults care more about their pets than they do children? How many divorces? single mothers? lack of discipline? Immorality (e.g. OnlyFans, pornography)

As a single guy I can agree with most everything you've said. I was raised in a loving home with great parents. I had positive values instilled in me and have been with many women that want to have sex on the first date. I'm in no hurry to get married until I find a decent woman.

 

[Mr. Friscus]

Here’s why youth suicides are up:
1. Entitlement
2. Lack of embracing responsibility for purpose
3. Sprint to victimhood
4. Social media dopamine addiction established during child development, and isolation from social media use
5. Demonization of men, put upon boys who are far more likely to act on it than women/girls.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

Today's youth are sent mixed messages and bombarded with politics at an early age. I feel sorry for them.

Street Signs Directing Us to Nowhere

Not just today. Back in the 60s, I was so confused and depressed because of the distortion of the American Dream that I committed a form of suicide by volunteering for combat in Vietnam.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

For those with teenagers:

I went to visit a college with one of my children who was about to graduate from high school.

A college administrator said college students drop out for mainly three reasons:
Addiction to alcohol.
Addiction to drugs.
Addiction to video games.

Blame the Cause, Not the Symptoms Told to You by Shameless Academics

They're running away from the fact that unpaid education is for teenagers who are afraid to grow up. That is a denial of manhood and, if truth could be told instead of sold, the real reason the majority of college students are women.

 

[The Sage of Main Street]

It used to be that they could look forward to the day they entered the military and found something worthwhile in life by turning to military solutions.

Preppies Owe Vietnam Vets 60,000 Lives

My military "solution" turned out to be watching people die pointlessly because of an incompetent military strategy and the indifference of the ruling class, whose sons were exempt from the fighting.

 

[Foxfyre]

High divorce rates, lack of nuclear family, lack of morals, etc .. all lead to lonely lives.

Look around while you're eating out to see how many families are more focused on their phones and not conversing with each other. How many single adults care more about their pets than they do children? How many divorces? single mothers? lack of discipline? Immorality (e.g. OnlyFans, pornography)

Why even kids blessed with a mom and dad in the home--those are becoming more rare as time progresses--can feel unimportant, isolated, lonely:

And those who grow up with a single parent are far more likely to fare less well than those with a responsible mother and father. Again there are always exceptions and outliers, but on average the nuclear traditional family that reinforces a child's faith and doesn't allow phones at the dinner table give their children a huge leg up and will be far less likely to produce mentally, emotionally, psychologically damaged teens and adults.

 

[whoisit]

There are always exceptions of course and probably all of us know of one or two. But people of strong faith rarely ever intentionally physically harm themselves or others.

I am not speaking of those who are obedient to the rules and regulations of any particular religion or just do church/synagogue/mosque, but those who have a connection with, a sense of relationship with, a higher power.

Children allowed to pray when something is tragic, sad, scary, disturbing--those to whom prayer is natural and comforting--will use a generic moment of silence for that. Not always but generally such children get through the uglies of youth with less trauma and are better able to deal with the really bad things in life as adults.

Children whose God is unwelcome in school or elsewhere in the public sphere, who are taught that being 'religious' is uncool and unsophisticated or unscientific, who do not have a supportive and affirming faith community, very often will not cope as well as children or as adults. And on average are far more likely to be destructive to themselves and/or others.

Would that have made a difference for your friend's son or your grandson? No way to know. Both may have been outliers and we cannot know what 'demons' drove them. I understand and appreciate what a tragedy such loss is for you and all others who have to endure that.

But I do believe allowing the genuine faith part of people's lives to be lived as openly and freely and visibly as they are allowed to live other factors of their lives would make a huge positive difference in the dysfunctional society we now all too often have.

We are a different society now and I agree faith helps, remember when there was a church on every corner, and we heard church bells ringing?
I also remember when people had meals together.
But most of all when youth had family.
I sure have changed my attitude about youth. And old people like me too far as it goes.

 

[whitehall]

The system often dopes up school kids with behavior modification drugs and the side effects include thoughts of suicide (and murder?) among adolescents. Substance abuse often results in depression and depression often results in suicide. I just watched a program about comic Freddie Prinze. He signed a multi million dollar contract and he had a beautiful wife and a young child and unfortunately he had a world class drug habit. He might have been depressed but he surely wasn't lonely when he put a bullet in his head at age 22.

 

[whoisit]

As a single guy I can agree with most everything you've said. I was raised in a loving home with great parents. I had positive values instilled in me and have been with many women that want to have sex on the first date. I'm in no hurry to get married until I find a decent woman.

Women needs a good man they can trust to guide them, since us Baby Boomers threw most morals to the wind times have changed.

 

[Blaster]

Women need a good man they can trust to guide them, since us Baby Boomers threw most morals to the wind times have changed.

I must admit i like the sex but I'm looking for a woman with some morals before I settle down.

 

[whoisit]

Back when I had more free time, I used to volunteer. It really makes you feel good about yourself.

We have lots of volunteering, but not many who understand what's missing.

 

[whoisit]

I was just thinking of how we can help some who are suffering in silence and if this thread helps some that would be good.

 

[Foxfyre]

We are a different society now and I agree faith helps, remember when there was a church on every corner, and we heard church bells ringing?
I also remember when people had meals together.
But most of all when youth had family.
I sure have changed my attitude about youth. And old people like me too far as it goes.

I guess I haven't. I am not one who believes all change is good or that we have to accept change that is far worse than what once was. I am a very pragmatic person who thinks honorable people look past all the PC, wokeism, etc. etc. etc. to see what the best solutions and remedies are instead of what a political party or other faction demands that they be.

I can see the destruction and negative consequences of cultural changes over the decades, but I don't have to accept them as inevitable or irreversible.

 

[Foxfyre]

The system often dopes up school kids with behavior modification drugs and the side effects include thoughts of suicide (and murder?) among adolescents. Substance abuse often results in depression and depression often results in suicide. I just watched a program about comic Freddie Prinze. He signed a multi million dollar contract and he had a beautiful wife and a young child and unfortunately he had a world class drug habit. He might have been depressed but he surely wasn't lonely when he put a bullet in his head at age 22.

Probably all of us have had harmful temptations as we were growing up and as young adults. And certainly people of all racial, age based, religious, economic demographics have succumbed to them. But when the culture itself can agree on what is and is not edifying and/or good for us and what choices educated, intelligent, moral, responsible people make, you have a lot fewer uneducated, stupid, immoral, irresponsible people.

 

[lennypartiv]

Blame the Cause, Not the Symptoms Told to You by Shameless Academics

They're running away from the fact that unpaid education is for teenagers who are afraid to grow up. That is a denial of manhood and, if truth could be told instead of sold, the real reason the majority of college students are women.

Bullying tactics have changed with the new technology.